Quick Hits: Soapblox Hacked, The Big Three, and the Debt Trap

Here's a hodgepodge of news on Millennials, policy arcana, and a dark day for the blogosphere:

• Soapblox, the software that runs many blogs within the 50 State Blog Network, was hacked last night, causing a huge chunk of progressive on-line infrastructure to go dark. People are scrambling to see if the problem is at all fixable, and if not, to salvage what they can and move to new platforms. It is literally a dark day for the progressive blogosphere, and major sites like Swing State Project might have lost their entire archive.
• The folks at Millennial Makeover have two new pieces up. The first looks at how Millennials hold the keys to the auto industry's future. The second piece looks at Obama's transition and measures it against previous transitions during political realignments.
• I was lax last week in noting the passing of Sen. Clairborne Pell, the creator of the Pell Grant program. This NYT Obit pays fitting tribute to his legacy.
• Tragically, the NYT also ran a story that week about how universities are now forming partnerships with credit card companies, often to the financial detriment of students who rack up massive debt:
  

  Bank of America’s relationship with the university extends well beyond marketing at sports events. The bank has an $8.4 million, seven-year contract with Michigan State giving it access to students’ names and addresses and use of the university’s logo. The more students who take the banks’ credit cards, the more money the university gets. Under certain circumstances, Michigan State even stands to receive more money if students carry a balance on these cards.

  Hundreds of colleges have contracts with lenders. But at a time of rising concern about student debt — and overall consumer debt — the arrangements have sounded alarm bells, and some student groups are starting to push back.

  The relationships are reminiscent of those uncovered two years ago between student loan companies and universities. In those, some lenders offered universities an incentive to steer potential borrowers their way.

• Congress Matters alerts us to key personnel changes on some subcommittees within the Energy and Commerce committee. Those working on energy and climate issues should take note.